Our vision for the center and the associated property has always been to create a safe haven for native wildlife, both for animals who live on property as well as those who are patients in our care. When Texas Sealife Center was first awarded the property from Nueces County in 2012, it was completely overwhelmed with invasive plant species. Guinea grass and Brazilian pepper trees had taken over, not allowing for the native plants to flourish. With dedicated volunteers and help from the Texas Master Naturalists, we began removing the invasive plants by the truckloads. Fourteen full trailer beds, countless volunteer hours, and several years later, we can now begin to see the fruits of that labor. Although controlling the invasive plants is a constant process, our property is now home to native plants and the animals who rely on them for survival. In six years we have seen plants such as coral bean and lantana return with birds such as painted and indigo buntings, hummingbirds, and orioles.

In addition, our property is a certified butterfly habitat and is full of butterfly-attracting plants such as milkweed, firecracker, fennel, passion vine, and more! We have seen butterflies such as; gulf fritillary, great swallowtail, and monarch.